


Kicking Up Ashes

by Elleth



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Drabble Sequence, Inspired by the Chapter 14 Cover, Kissing, M/M, Magic Revealed, white lies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 15:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9331178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elleth/pseuds/Elleth
Summary: Lalli spots Emil walking in the ashes after the battle.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> A little treat for you. I hope it's not too angsty.

Lalli had a rule about lying. It was confusing, no matter if the reasons were as good as Onni or Tuuri claimed, and he did not do it. If he had to avoid something, he found ways around it. Silence. Sleeping. Staring. Stubbornness. At some point the problem went away. 

But when he saw Emil walk in the ashes after the battle with his shoulders hunched, hands in his pockets, kicking his feet, he considered it. There was reason enough - Tuuri, and Emil seeing magic, which he didn't believe in - for a simple lie, a comfort lie. 

It'd be okay. 

* * * 

He took care to make noise walking up to Emil, held open his hand. "Come?" he said. Swedish. He wished now that he'd learned better, but it'd have to do. He led Emil into the shadow of the tank, tried to make sense of the dim, unhappy words from Emil's mouth. He caught a few of them. _Magic, real, wrong, eagle, fire, trolls._

He patted Emil's shoulder, let his eyes light up bright so Emil could see. "Magic. Real." 

"Real," Emil repeated and looked away, made to turn away. Stayed. 

"Okay." Lalli gestured at himself. "I'm okay?" 

It'd be okay. 

* * * 

"You're okay," Emil said after a long time waiting, nodded once, sighed. "You're a - a _noita_ , but no danger." 

"No danger," Lalli agreed. It was a chore, talking this way, filling out one-word scout reports. He was a mage. He could be a danger. He did not mean to be one to Emil, who kept talking, paused sometimes to look at Lalli, see if he understood, sighed. Finally and brightly he said, sudden, hopeful, painful, "And Tuuri? Magic can cure her?" 

"No." The idea was new to Emil, not to him. "Many years, we try. No."

It'd not be okay.

* * *

As if Lalli had kicked up ashes into Emil's face, Emil stood rubbing at his eyes and breathing heavily, walking a distance and coming back. His mouth moved, but he didn't speak out the words. Lalli felt better not knowing what Emil was saying, thinking, but could guess. His own thoughts went that way.

 _Then what is it good for? What are_ you _good for?_

At best that. 

Emil came to him then, close enough for breathing, leaned in. Their lips met. Emil's eyes shut.

"It'll be okay," Emil said. "Somehow."

A simple lie, a comfort lie. 

It'd be okay.


End file.
